CNY (chinatown 1)

Almost every year, we will make a trip to Chinatown when CNY gets closer and this year is no exception.

This year, I went with Isa and mum. Pagoda and Temple streets were crowded with shoppers. We were literally touching shoulder to shoulder. I was so worried if I would lost Isa and thus I held her little hand tightly.

There was a long queue at famous LCG bbq pork and the price of non-spicy meat has rose slightly to $46 per kg. Just next to this shop was also selling bbq pork but there were not many customers. What a vast difference and am sure that shop did not feel very nice seeing so many customers queueing at tis rival shop.

We spent about 2 hours sweating in the crowd. The trip to chinatown is just another way to celebrate CNY.

CNY (abalone 2)

On Saturday, I finally bought my 2 cans of abalones from Fairprice supermarket. The New Moon brand was on offer at $33 and a gift set of a can of abalone and a can of shark-fin soup from Skylight was at $39.80.

Frankly speaking, I was not very pleased because they were from NZ. I prefered abalones from Australia. Also, each can has 2 pieces but I prefer 1.5 pieces. I know it sounds silly but this is just my preference.

J is in Australia and I hope he can bring back some abalones for CNY.

Singapore Airshow 2010 Part 1

In Feb 2008, I watched our country's Black Knights flying proudly in the sky.
http://bungerstar.blogspot.com/2008/02/rsaf-black-knights-2008.html

In this coming Feb, all thanks to R, who managed to secure some tickets for us. J will be overseas otherwise, we will have a lovely time seeing these metal bird performing stunts in the blue sky again as in Feb 2008, before it is opened to the public.

http://www.singaporeairshow.com/public-eventactivities.aspx

This time, we will have to take public transport to attend this airshow. I pray for a cloudy sky else we will all fall sick after spending hours under the hot sun.

Isa is thrilled as she did not attend the Airshow in Feb 2008.

CNY (fortune bamboo)

With CNY just 2 weeks away, colourful flowering plants can be seen more often than usual days.

During our recent grocery shopping, Isa saw a small pot of Fortune Bamboo plant selling at an affordable $3.90. It is a simple bamboo plant with some young shoots growing.

Isa was thrilled but not me. She insisted on buying it for CNY. She wants to grow it. I have asked her to consider carefully as she has to water it daily. I am not going to take over this job when her "fever" for this plant is over.

After debating on this plant for some hours, I gave in and now this pot is sitting in our living room. I wonder when it grows bigger, where would I find a suitable pot to plant it.

I hope this Fortune Bamboo plant will bring good fortune to my loved ones!

CNY (abalone 1)

The last week of Jan 2010 has arrived. How time flies and 1/12 of 2010 is almost over!

I have yet to buy 2 cans of abalone meant for the yusheng dish for reunion dinner. The cans of abalone availabe in Singapore usually come from Australia or New Zealand. Those more expensive ones would come from Mexico and each can can easily cost close to $80!

Initially mum wanted Horse Brand Bird's Nest abalone. Each can costs about $50. It is just too expensive. I managed to convince her to get a cheaper brand.

Recently I saw from Caltex petrol kiosk, a gift set of 3 items which includes a can of abalone selling at $44.80. If I buy 2 sets, the cost would be less than $100. Not only I will get 2 cans of abalone, I will have 4 cans of other items (not abalone) which can be used later.

At the supermarket ShopNSave, a promoter is advertising a can of abalone around $35. If I buy 2 cans, I can get a big ceramic pot, ideal for boiling soup for the whole family.

I have yet to find out what's available at Fairprice and Giant Hypermarket.

Consumers are spoilt with the choices of abalone available. With the economy on the recovery track, more people are willing to part their cash for this festive season.

CNY (bbq pork)

Chinese New Year falls on 14 Feb 2010. That day is also Valentine Day which really made that day to be very special.

As usual, my preparation for CNY is always disorganised. But with J going for an overseas assignment, some planning is needed.

First, I have settled the must-have bbq pork. This year, I bought the famous Lim Chee Guan bbq pork from Orchard ION. The non-spicy bbq pork costs $44/kg and the spicy type costs $46/kg. I bought a total of 4 kg; not a lot as compared to previous years.

I am pretty sure the bbq pork will be long gone before CNY arrives.

Mum and Isa already said the bbq pork was better than the rest.

Next, I have also settled the money meant for CNY preparation. As usual, D will be the main chef and will be buying all the necessary ingredients for the steamboat, peng chai and yu sheng for the reunion dinner. The prices for the prawns and some fish have gone up secretly as CNY gets closer. D and her husband will be whipping up all the dishes for 13 persons. I admit this is never a simple job and I gladly pay and let D takes over.

Since 14 Feb falls on a Sunday, there will be a total of 3 days for celebration. We are not planning to go anywhere except parents' homes. So more food and drinks are needed than usual. Again, this is a time for free flow of food and drinks. D decided to whip up white wine with mussels. This is her modified recipe on a dish tasted in Brussels. We really love it as it reminded our European trip some years ago.

Akashi Restaurant (Vivo City) Part 2

By the time we reached the restaurant, there were quite a lot of guests having their meals.

Since ours was quite a huge group, I was glad to make a reservation in advance. We ordered a Akashi bento set, a Katsu don set, a Oyako don set, a Nigiri soba set, a Gintara misozuke set, a Tarachiri nabe set, a Niku udon and a Tempura soba. The green tea for each person was free but 2 plates of Edamame (which looked like green peas) cost $4.

In addition, we ordered the famous sashimi set where each piece of salmon cost $4. Each person enjoyed 2 pieces and that 2 big dishes of sashimi cost a whopping $64!

I must say that the $4 a piece of sashimi was really tasty and different (besides the price). It was really delicious!

After adding the 7% GST & 10% service charge, the bill was about $233.

Mum was very pleased with her Akashi bento set, R's Nigiri soba set which has green noodles was half eaten by Isa. Isa ordered her favourite Oyako don but the portion was too huge. In the end, she shared with R & J. My Katsu don set was more than sufficient to fill my stomach. J's niku udon was quite small, maybe because beef was expensive but he loved it.

The service was good; the friendly waitress cleared our empty plates promptly. The green tea was refilled without being asked. Yes, we would return to this restaurant again.

Akashi Restaurant (Vivo City) Part 1

Since our trip to Japan in mid Dec, we have been craving for Japanese food. Isa, especially loves Oyako don and J wants ramen or soba. Forget about Sakae Sushi, Sushi Tei or Ajisen etc, we want real delicious and reasonably priced Japanese food.

A friend recommended Akashi Restaurant which has outlets in Paragon Shopping Centre and Vivo City. Maybe the outlet in Vivo City is a better choice since after the meal, we can do some grocery shopping in Giant Hypermarket.

Ok, a reservation has been made at this restaurant.

Stay tuned for my experience!

Job Rotation Part 2

Yes, my name is on the list for the job rotation. Yes, HOD plans to post me back to main HQ despite L mentioned to her my reluctance and unwillingness to move. I see no short-term advantages in working in the east.

At present, I interact directly with the customers. I get immediate good or bad feedback on my work from the customers. I provide all the necessary expertise for my customers. My rapport with the customers is good. My immediate boss L is caring and understanding. I live in the west and I don't need to spend much time and money for travelling to and fro the office.

Staff in the HQ live in eastern tip of Singapore. She is also very unwilling to travel all the way to the west to work.

In fact, for this big shake-up, staff living in the east has to travel to the west and vice versa. All staff see only the immediate disadvantages. Why HOD can't see it herself?

As this drama unfolds, more and more problems surface. Morale of the affected staff gets lower and how to increase productivity?

It just needs one brave staff to tender the big letter and I think HOD will seriously reconsider this plan.

Singapore Flyer cum Chinese New Year "Lo Hei"

Interested to take a ride on Singapore Flyer and then a "Lo Hei" dinner on 28 Feb 2010?

Job Rotation Part 1

The namelist for officers involved in the Job Rotation should be out very soon.

Yesterday I had a good talk with my immediate boss, L. He said that I would go into depression if I did not sort out my problems quickly. Outsiders are always so clear-minded. Basically only 2 factors to consider; family vs salary. If I value my family more, then resign if I am unhappy with the new working arrangement. If I think my salary is more important, then continue working and make adjustments to my family. Things will work out eventually in whatever choice I made. This is not the end of the world.

Yes, it is just that simple; family vs salary.

I have been greedy. I want to keep my job, I want to maintain my current family committment, I want this, I want that,...

Hey, this is an impefect world! How can I expect a bed of roses?

Here, I must say L is one of the best bosses I ever have. He treats staff as human beings and not machines or objects. He understands human beings have emotions and problems. He knows the stress arises from our job and always willing to step in to help. He always makes sure the needs of his staff have been taken care of before himself.

Working with him for the past couple of years has been one of the best periods of my working life and I am so unwilling and sad to leave this office. We have worked very well as a team and provided excellent service to our customers/clients.

At home, J and Isa decided that I should continue working. Isa is so cute to say that if mummy does not work, we will not have enough money and she is willing to dig some money out from her piggy bank. My dearest, don't you know that your money in your piggy bank is never sufficient to last for a few months?

So now it is just a matter of adjustment here and there; changes are inevitable, sacrifices are needed if I need my salary.

Be positive!

Delay Luggage Claim Settled

Remember J's big luggage was held up in Paris and took another day to arrive home? By the time it reached home, it was beyond repairs though the contents were still intact

The delay luggage claim was paid in blocks of 6 hours. Each block would entitle a claim of $200. It was delayed by a total of 29 hours. By the calculation from the insurance company, we would receive a cheque of $800.

IF the luggage was delayed by another hour, we would have received an additional of $200!

Ok, we did not look into the details of terms and conditions to take advantage of this situation. We merely reported the exact time involved. We are honest BUT we "dropped" $200 in this manner.

This cheque is sufficient to pay for our travel insurance for the whole year!

J to Australia in early Feb

Chinese New Year (CNY) falls on 14 Feb 2010. We are less than a month away from CNY and J just dropped me a bomb that he might be back home from Australia only on 10 Feb 2010.

So the trip to Singapore Airshow was gone as he would not be around to accompany Isa and myself.

What about my CNY shopping? I have yet to buy bbq pork and other food for CNY.

So I have decided to make a trip to buy my favourite bbq pork (Lim Chee Guan) this weekend. Next weekend, we may go to Chinatown to buy some CNY goodies.

I have to include a spring cleaning for my home, stock up enough food for the few days of free flow of eat & drink.

A Cobra & A Frog

I was sipping my cup of hot coffee in the office when N told me there was a black snake (cobra) outside!

I almost jumped from my chair and dashed out of my office. There, I saw a lazy long snake gliding on the grass. There was no mistake that it was a snake and quite a big fellow. Immediately I informed the Pest Control. By the time, the controllers came, the snake was nowhere to be found. I was quite disappointed.

Then I found a frog lying motionless in the drain. A leg was gone! It was so gruesome to see the dead frog in this condition."

N could even said the snake might returned for its "high tea".

OMG, I almost vomited what I had earlier for breakfast.

Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant

Our office year-end lunch was held at Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant located on the third floor of Coronation Plaza.

If I recalled correctly, it would be my third visit to this restaurant.

Vegetarian food is not all on vegetables. Some food is prepared quite deliciously and pleasant to eyes. There are vegetarian version of shark fin soup, peking duck etc.

We have a wonderful lunch though most of our conversation was still about work.

Change is Constant

The dialogue session with HOD was finally held. She started talking from 9am to 2pm! There were only a couple of 10 minutes' break. All the 6 staff who attended have expected a lengthy talk as she was famous being long-winded. But we did not expect to listen stories till 2pm.

Basically "Change is constant" is what I gathered after this dialogue. The customers are getting more demanding. Thus expectations become higher and workload increased. However, the budget for our pay and performance bonus do not rise as fast or much. In fact, our annual increment is not enough to cope with the rate of inflation. This is common for many working sectors and thus is one of the many things we can't change or do much about it.

While HOD has yet to reveal the names of selected staff for this job rotation, one side of my mind sees the benefits of this rotation; to gain exposure by working in different sections so as to make me a more rounded person, the other side of me is the unwillingness to step out of my current comfort zone.

What if HOD insists on me leaving the current office and to work in a totally different section/office? It may not be the end of the world as afterall, I am still getting my monthly salary except some adjustment to make.

Human beings can adapt to changes quickly and unknowingly.

HOD has done her job well in spreading her ideas to her fellow subordinates.

H1N1 jab : Taken!

With some courage, I stepped into one of the Healthway Clinics to take the H1N1 jab.

The receptionist did my registration. Before I could even change my mind, I was ushered into one of the consultation rooms.

A male doctor was already holding the needle with the syringe filled with the vaccine waiting for me! I told him I was quite scared of needles. He asked me to turn away and soon I felt a sharp bite into my skin followed by another pain as the vaccine went into my upper arm.

In about 10 minutes, I was already on my way home.

I have no obvious side-effects except the muscle ache which is common for any injections.

H1N1 jab : to take or not?

My office is giving the H1N1 jab on a voluntary basis. This vaccination is available at the selected clinics over Singapore. Many are hesitating after hearing or reading articles about the side-effects from this jab.

I think the logic behind this vaccination is good. But with the reports of various side-effects really made me wonder if I should go ahead.

Anyway, the deadline will be next week, thereafter, we will have to pay for this jab if we want to have it.

Financial Review

During he first week of 2010, I took some time to review my financial situations.

The global stocks plunged to a low in the early 2009 but recovered strongly thereafter. As a result, some of the unit trusts I have bought have returned to black but the paper gain was not as great as before the "depression".

I stayed invested and did no withdrawal.

The bank preferential shares finally returned to their cost price and I felt great relief. Although I have already prepared to hold them for long-term, seeing that in deep red was certainly unpleasant.

During the IPO for Capital Malls Asia, I tried my luck and bought a few lots. I have applied for my IPOs but received nothing until this stock. So whether this would give me a good return is still a question mark.

There is an upcoming IPO for Tiger Airways. I have yet to make a decision whether to try my luck again due to various reasons.

Due to the ultra-low interest environment, the single premium plans gave very low yields (eg 1.6%pa from INCOME) that I gave up hope on them.

The procedure for bidding of Singapore Government Securities has changed in the second half of year 2009. It became quite user-unfriendly and not cost-effective anymore. I think nothing much can be done in this area.

As for insurance, I did not buy any extra coverage.

More Snow at Snow Monkey Park

source: http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm

Meaningful Phrases

source: unknown

Start of Year 2010

A new academic year has started on 4 Jan 2010. Isa is now a Primary 5 girl.

The first day of school did not start off well due to the heavy rain in the early morning. The traffic was slow and visibility was greatly affected by the wet weather. Isa wanted to reach her school earlier as she has some duties to perform. This certainly gave me some pressure as I was a slow and timid driver.

I reached my office on time to start work which was a great relief.

As expected, lots of emails both from office and personal to read. The report to HOD has been submittied and finally approved.

Now the next is a presentation during a Knowledge Sharing Session. I have started preparing it but unsure if the audience would enjoy it.

J may be heading overseas again at the end of this month. OMG, Chinese New Year is just round the corner.

KC's resignation - part 2

My boss called KC and the two sat down to have a good talk. Since it was a "closed-door" talk, only that 2 gentlemen involved knew what has been raised and discussed.

In the end, the rest of the colleagues gathered that it was due to a misunderstanding that caused KC to resign in a moment of anger. Words that come out of our mouth can heal or kill a person.

I am glad that KC continues to stay in the office. Afterall, he is hardworking and has good working attitude. KC's matter has a happy ending but what about me?

Life is never a bed of roses and is never plain-sailing. Life is a journey full of ups and downs.

I guess the next issue will be my possible posting. HOD is planning to hold a dialogue this month to address the issue of job-rotation. The officers picked for this job rotation will be informed after the dialogue session.

I wish I have the wisdom and courage to voice my concerns to HOD that I do not want to be transferred out from my current office. I do not mind no promotion but like to work in this office till I retire.

Tickets

KC's resignation - part 1

On the first few days of 2010, I received 2 "big" news; KC resigned and HOD's reminder on my training report.

I was totally not prepared to accept KC's resignation at all. His working attitude was fine. He lives near the workplace and he has mentioned many times that he was quite happy with the present working environment. Why the sudden change of mind and at this moment when everybody was still in the festive mood? He said that due to some personal reasons.

KC joined our office about a year ago. He was quite hardworking though at times too friendly with males. Perhaps due to his over friendliness which has caused some misunderstandings.

HOD's reminder on my training report did not come as a surprise as her last comment on my report was made in early Dec. I was away for a week in Dec. When I was back to office, it was close to Christmas. Besides clearing my emails and my routine tasks daily, I was very unwilling to look into my training report. After Christmas, there were plenty of reasons to relax. Afterall, it was only a few days before 2010 arrives. Everything can wait till 2010 starts.

After reading HOD's reminder, I was determined to tidy up my training report asap. Yes, I have just completed it and submitted for vetting.

More things in the pipeline, HOD plans for a dialogue session with the officers and a Knowledge Sharing Session in which officers shared what has been learnt during their overseas training trips. I hope to get them over before Chinese New Year arrives.

Happy New Year to Everyone

Dear Friends,
Year 2010 has just started. May I sincerely wish everybody healthy! With a healthy body, you will be happy.

On the last day of 2009, we went to D's place for a feast. D always pampers us with her new innovative dishes and we are glad to be her guests. J and I went to the supermarket to get some wines for adults and soft drinks for the kids. We had our dinner on the last day of 2009 with our family members happily. What a precious moment to spend the last few hours of year 2009 with our loved ones?

After the dinner, our eyes were glues to the big new tv. Another old movie Godzilla on channel 5 but we watched since we have no choice. The countdown tv programmes started at 11pm.

At midnight, we watched the fireworks from Marina Bay, Vivo City and the ships in the Southern Waters. I was slightly disappointed that not many ships fired up the flares up into the sky.

Again, Happy New Year to Everybody! This year 2010 will be a better year.